The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed suit against Montrose (Colo.) Memorial Hospital, alleging hospital administrators discriminated against older nurses, according to The Denver Post.
The federal lawsuit alleges Montrose Memorial officials made ageist comments and gave preferential treatment to younger nurses. For instance, the lawsuit claims a nurse who worked at the hospital for 27 years was fired for policy violations in 2012, while younger nurses received more lenient treatment for similar violations, according to the report.
The lawsuit alleges Montrose Memorial officials have engaged in widespread age discrimination since at least 2012.
Montrose Memorial CEO Steve Hannah disputed the allegations in a statement provided to The Denver Post. "Montrose Memorial Hospital takes any claim of discrimination very seriously. We have policies and procedures in place to ensure our employees are being treated fairly. Unfortunately, sometimes we have to terminate employees to ensure that our patients and families are receiving the quality care and customer service our community deserves," said Mr. Hannah.
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